For the Team
by TJ Dragonblade
Summary: Kakashi knows that nothing's going to happen between Sai and Naruto without a little push. KakaSai; SaiNaru intentions; smidgen of KakaYama. Warnings for M/M kissing & Kakashi giving romantic advice.


Prequel to a NaruSai snippet that I wrote, available on my LiveJournal.

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><p>"You like him, don't you."<p>

Sai glanced up from staring after the retreating orange figure in the distance, face devoid of any real expression, and blinked at Kakashi in the tree above him. "Yes. Naruto is a good friend."

Kakashi waved a dismissive hand, not really looking up from his _Icha Icha Tactics_. "No, no, I mean, you _like_ him. Romantically."

"Oh." Sai considered that a moment. "Yes, I think so."

"Have you told him?"

"No. Naruto has asserted that he is 'not into guys'."

Kakashi sighed. "Of course he said that." He shook his head, noted his page and closed the book, then jumped lightly down from the tree branch. Dealing with this kind of thing was not really his strong point, but the unacknowledged tension between these two was starting to affect the whole team and something had to be done. Sure, Naruto and Sai being _together_ would probably bring its own set of quirks and problems to the mix, but it had to be better than the distracting-and-therefore-potentially-deadly tension that existed now. He didn't want to get involved, really he didn't - it was _troublesome_, to borrow a catch-phrase - but they were _his_ team, after all, and he kept having thoughts about duty and not shirking it. In the end, he'd caved to that inner voice and decided that talking to Sai was bound to be more productive than talking to Naruto.

He tucked the book away in his tool pouch and placed a hand on Sai's shoulder. "Look. Naruto is in denial. He _says_ he's not into guys because he's uncomfortable with the way you make him feel."

Sai's head tilted just a little to one side. "I don't want to make him uncomfortable."

"Well, that's his issue more than it's yours, so don't worry about it. You've noticed the way he tends to stare at you when he thinks no one's looking, right?" He couldn't have missed it. _None_ of them could have. Naruto sort of failed at things like stealth and covert behavior in everyday life.

Sai nodded, once, short and sharp. "Yes."

"That's because he likes you, I'm guessing the same way you like him."

"Oh." Sai blinked. "And this makes him uncomfortable, because we're both male?"

"That's what he says. He's stubborn and thick-headed and he's probably got some outdated idea about same-sex couples not being normal, and people losing respect for him, or something. Which means, if you want to pursue him, you're going to have to be very forward and very persistent about it. Overwhelm his defenses, so to speak."

Sai's blank face took on a vaguely introspective look. "The research I have done on courtship and dating gives very different advice than this. Should I be reading different books?"

Kakashi shook his head, bemused. "I don't think there's any book in the world that can give you accurate advice about Naruto. Just..." He shrugged, casting through personal experience for anything useful to offer. "Try to talk to him alone, when no one else is around. Let him know that _you_ know he likes you, regardless of what he says. The bath might be a good place to catch him; if you're both naked he'll be more nervous and it will be easier for you to prove him wrong when he denies liking you. Touch him if you can. Kiss him, if he'll let you. He'll probably deck you once or twice, so be prepared for that, and don't let it stop you. Don't give up and you'll get through his thick head eventually."

Sai's expression shifted minutely, showing a bare hint of uncertainty. "I have read books on kissing, as well, but they all suggest that practical experience is the only way to learn effectively."

Kakashi really wasn't all that surprised to discover that Sai had never kissed anyone, given what he knew about Root. He felt a little bad for the kid, all things considered, which was probably another reason he was bothering to involve himself in the first place. He weighed one response against another in his head, _You'll figure it out when you get there_ versus _I can show you what to do_, and decided that the latter would probably be more effective. His inner romantic frowned at the idea of taking Sai's first kiss as a matter of practical instruction, but his inner romantic was a little high on his own blossoming love-life and not really the best source of wisdom at the moment. He was pretty sure Naruto and Sai were equally inexperienced with kissing and dating and the like, and if Sai had even a small advantage on that front it would make things easier on both of them.

Besides, this was Sai, who probably didn't have any preconceptions attached to the idea of a first kiss anyhow and who wouldn't read anything more into the lesson than Kakashi intended.

He sighed, and squeezed his hand on Sai's shoulder. "Here, come closer; I'll show you how to kiss. It's pretty simple."

Sai blinked, then stepped forward obediently, tilting his face up to maintain eye contact as his clothing brushed Kakashi's.

"People usually kiss with their eyes closed, so go ahead and shut yours. And don't open them again until I tell you to."

Sai gave that single short nod again and shut his eyes.

"Just focus on the feel of what I do, and try to do the same kind of thing back. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Alright. We'll start simple." Kakashi tugged his mask down beneath his chin and pressed his lips against Sai's briefly. "That's your basic kiss, just a quick peck." He dipped in again, pressed Sai's bottom lip between both of his and pulled gently back off again. "That's a little more intimate, but still pretty basic. You try it, now."

He gave Sai his mouth, and Sai dutifully and accurately reproduced both the first kiss and the second.

"Good. Now. With Naruto, you're probably going to need a bit more than that. Deeper kissing, like I'm about to show you, is very intimate and more of an interactive thing, so pay attention and follow my lead. Especially when it comes to tongue." He touched his mouth to Sai's, moved them gently together, licked at the open line of Sai's lips; when he felt Sai's tentative lick in return, he spent a brief moment on exploratory back-and-forth to let Sai get the hang of it. Sai was somewhat awkward at first but caught on quickly, and Kakashi moved on to more aggressive techniques in short order. He slid his hand from Sai's shoulder to the back of his neck, brought his other hand up to grip Sai's arm gently, and sent his tongue delving assertively into Sai's mouth.

Sai took a moment to adapt to the change, but when he started returning the attention, deftly countering the probing slide of Kakashi's tongue and making plays to get his own into Kakashi's mouth, Kakashi's libido tried to forget that this was just a demonstration. Sai was very pretty, after all, and he had a very sensual mouth; he was turning out to be quite the quick study and Kakashi almost started contemplating what else he might be able to teach Sai while he was at it.

He pulled away when that thought registered, drew in a deep breath and let go of Sai, stepped away and tugged his mask back into place before anything got out of hand. "So that's kissing," he said, ignoring the warm thrill of arousal trying to wake things up in his pants. "You can open your eyes now."

Sai blinked, met Kakashi's gaze calmly and did his little head-tilt again. "Kissing is a very effective way to incite arousal," he observed, expression taking on that introspective look again.

Kakashi couldn't help flicking a reflexive glance at Sai's groin and smiled, letting it curve his visible eye so that the expression was obvious. "Well, yes, when it's done right, which is why it's a good tool for getting past Naruto's defenses. Arousal is a powerful counter to denial." A thought occurred to him then, and he let the smile fall away. "You do know what to do with a hard-on, right? Doing it to Naruto isn't much different from doing it to yourself."

Sai shook his head. "I understand the concept, but I have never tried to implement it."

Kakashi winced internally. He realized it was a petty reason compared to all the other unpleasantness they'd perpetrated, but he was glad all over again that Danzou was dead and Root was gone. "Well, figure it out on yourself before you try it on Naruto. You don't need my help on this one. Just take that home - " he nodded at Sai's obvious erection " - and play with it, work with it, find out what feels good and what doesn't. Trust me, it's not that ha - it's pretty simple."

No way was he giving demonstrations in _that_. He'd meddled enough; the two of them could figure out the rest of it like everyone else did.

Sai nodded, still looking thoughtful. "Thank you for your help, Kakashi-senpai," he said, and beamed one of his bright smiles. "I will follow your advice." Then he turned and walked away.

Kakashi blinked, looking after him; with any luck, things would be back to a more normal balance on the team soon. He shook his head and started ambling the other direction, thoughts turning inevitably to the half-hard situation in his own pants. He picked up his step a little, heading for Tenz - _Yamato's_ place, hopeful that he'd find the man at home. Recent personal experience had taught him that Yamato was quite proficient in the art of kissing, but he suspected his kouhai might be amenable to a 'lesson' or two all the same.

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>Originally Posted: 613/11


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